2008 Woodie Awards
Tibetan exiles protest torch run in China, threaten more protests in future
By: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: World
NEW DELHI - Thousands of police patrolled central New Delhi, guarding against anti-China protests for the Olympic torch relay today in India, the heart of the world's Tibetan exile community.
About 100 Tibetan exiles tried to breach the security cordon yesterday around the Chinese Embassy, and police dragged away about 50 of them, loading them into police vans - but not before they manage to spray paint "No Olympics in China" on a street near the embassy.
After decades of frosty relations, New Delhi is trying to forge closer ties with China, and Indian officials are desperate to avoid the chaos during torch runs in London, Paris and San Francisco.
Many in India's 100,000-member Tibetan exile community, the world's largest, have threatened more of the protests that they've staged nearly every day here since demonstrations first broke out in Tibet in March and were put down by Chinese officials.
In recent weeks, Tibetan exiles here have stormed the Chinese Embassy, which is now surrounded by barricades and barbed wire, gone on hunger strikes, and shaved their heads to protest China's crackdown on protests in Tibet.
The exiles say the torch run through the city is a perfect opportunity to make their point, despite the fact that the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, says he supports China hosting of the Olympics.
Thousands of Tibetans reportedly were heading to New Delhi to protest and will take part in their own torch run to highlight the Tibetan struggle against China. Exiles also have urged Indian athletes to boycott the torch relay and asked residents to wear "Free Tibet" T-shirts and fly Tibetan flags.
The public could watch live TV accounts of the relay, which looked almost like a practice run because of the lack of people and the location.
About 100 Tibetan exiles tried to breach the security cordon yesterday around the Chinese Embassy, and police dragged away about 50 of them, loading them into police vans - but not before they manage to spray paint "No Olympics in China" on a street near the embassy.
After decades of frosty relations, New Delhi is trying to forge closer ties with China, and Indian officials are desperate to avoid the chaos during torch runs in London, Paris and San Francisco.
Many in India's 100,000-member Tibetan exile community, the world's largest, have threatened more of the protests that they've staged nearly every day here since demonstrations first broke out in Tibet in March and were put down by Chinese officials.
In recent weeks, Tibetan exiles here have stormed the Chinese Embassy, which is now surrounded by barricades and barbed wire, gone on hunger strikes, and shaved their heads to protest China's crackdown on protests in Tibet.
The exiles say the torch run through the city is a perfect opportunity to make their point, despite the fact that the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, says he supports China hosting of the Olympics.
Thousands of Tibetans reportedly were heading to New Delhi to protest and will take part in their own torch run to highlight the Tibetan struggle against China. Exiles also have urged Indian athletes to boycott the torch relay and asked residents to wear "Free Tibet" T-shirts and fly Tibetan flags.
The public could watch live TV accounts of the relay, which looked almost like a practice run because of the lack of people and the location.
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